The head nurses in St Vincent and the Grenadines are concerned about an increase in obese children. Sis. Lucine Edwards, Principal of the School of Nursing told SEARCHLIGHT HEALTH that it is worrying to see so many fat primary school age children because those children are then predisposed to other major complications such as heart disease and diabetes.

Medical research shows that diabetics often have a trail leading back to their diets while they were yet children.{{more}}

SEARCHLIGHT HEALTH spoke to the top nurses during their monthly reporting, assessment and planning meeting with Chief Nursing Officer, Sis Audrey Scott.

Addressing the obesity concern in children they said that the problem is being compounded by the unhealthy items being sold on snack trays in and around the school compound. It is difficult they acknowledged teaching healthy eating habits when the children are so readily tempted when they stepped out of the classroom.

The head nurses said one way to tackle this problem is to educate parents on proper diets for their young ones. Community nurses often attend Parent and Teachers Association (PTA) meetings and this will continue as the effort is made to change the unhealthy eating habits being inculcated in the children.

Another area of concern according to Sis. Velna John, the head nurse at the General Hospital is the apparent increase in asthmatic patients. Sis. Rosalind Thomas, the head of community nursing was concerned that some parents were not diligently dealing with their children’s asthma conditions and waited until an emergency to get them medical attention. She said that there are district asthma clinics where the children can get routine appointments for preventative treatment.

“Parents must be vigilant in these things,” said Thomas. Admitting that it could be difficult to always keep abreast about children’s action while they are in school, the head nurses still called on parents to put things in place to ensure that their asthmatic children follow whatever recreational restriction that may be placed on them because of their condition.